Football

Ceferin says no FIFA challenge but urges Infantino to step down from post

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says he won't run against FIFA President Gianni Infantino but warned the beleaguered head of world soccer that he must either quit or face a leadership challenge in March. Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down over his plan, now aborted, to sell stakes in soccer's biggest tournament, the World Cup, to private equity investors. Three of the sport's continental confederations accused him of "deception" and European soccer body UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions. "One option is that he realizes that he doesn't have the support, and that's not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches," Ceferin said in an interview with "The Rest is Politics: Leading" British podcast which is set to be broadcast Monday. "And the second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in th

Winning starts for Arsenal, Marseille and Betis as new league seasons begin

Arsenal got its title defense off to a perfect start Friday with a 3-0 win over newly promoted Coventry City in the opening match of the Premier League. In France, a second-half double from Amine Gouiri set Marseille on its way to a 4-0 victory over Strasbourg on the first night of this season's Ligue 1 action. Elsewhere in Europe, Real Betis beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in the Spanish league while fan trouble overshadowed the first round of the German Cup. Arsenal sweeps Coventry aside in Premier League opener ========================================= Newcomer Christos Tzolis helped set up two goals as defending champion Arsenal opened the Premier League season by dismantling promoted Coventry 3-0 to spoil the visitor's long-awaited return to the top flight. After ending a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, Arsenal showed why it's favored to repeat as champion by completely dominating Frank Lampard's side in a game that was one-sided from start to finish. Kai Havertz, Bukayo

Rio's Maracana Stadium to host opening game and final of 2027 Women's WC

The Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host the opening match and the final of the Women's World Cup next year, FIFA announced Thursday. Brazil is the first South American nation to host the tournament and will play in the opener on June 24 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the 73,000 seat Maracana, which also hosted the 2014 men's World Cup final. The hosts will also play in Sao Paulo and Brasilia during the group phase of the 32-team competition spread across eight Brazilian cities. The final is scheduled for July 25. The Maracana is one of soccer's most iconic venues, having hosted the decisive match of the 1950 men's World Cup, with Uruguay crowned champions after beating the hosts 2-1. In the final of the 2014 edition, Germany lifted its fourth title after a 1-0 extra-time win against Lionel Messi's Argentina. So far, only Sweden's Rasunda Stadium and California's Rose Bowl have hosted both the men's and women's World Cup finals. Spain is the defending champion

Jamal Musiala dealing with neurological issue after collapsing in friendly

Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala said he's dealing with a neurological issue but doing well despite collapsing during a preseason game Tuesday at Heidenheim, three days after a similar incident against Leipzig. The 23-year-old Germany international went down shortly after entering Tuesday's friendly as a substitute in the second half. Players from both teams made a circle around Musiala as he received medical treatment. He was then helped as he walked off the pitch. Musiala had collapsed Saturday during a friendly against Leipzig. German news agency DPA reported he had left the field on his own but still appeared dazed. After Tuesday's game, Musiala posted a message on his Instagram account, explaining that he had been diagnosed with temporary "but easily treatable absence seizures" caused by a neurological problem. "These can lead to the moments that happened recently, such as against Leipzig or even now in Heidenheim," Musiala wrote. Bayern, in its report on Tuesday's game

Senegal football hires Patrick Vieira as coach to replace fired Pape Thiaw

Senegal hired Patrick Vieira as its new coach on Tuesday to replace Pape Thiaw, who was fired after the team was eliminated from the World Cup in the round of 32. Senegal announced the news in a post on Instagram, without giving any details of the length of the 50-year-old Vieira's contract. Vieira won the World Cup with France as a player during a glittering club career with Inter and AC Milan, Arsenal and Manchester City. His coaching career has not been anywhere near as successful, however. Vieira has previously coached New York City FC, Nice, Crystal Palace and Strasbourg. His last job was in charge of Genoa, but - despite an initially positive start - he was fired after less than a year with the team in last place in Serie A. Senegal was eliminated from the World Cup by Belgium despite leading 2-0 with about five minutes of regulation time remaining. The team also came close to elimination in the group stage after losses to France and Norway. Thiaw and his technical staff we

Barcelona confirms signing of Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City

Barcelona made official the signing of Spain captain Rodri on Tuesday, adding the World Cup's best player to a squad already filled with world champions. The midfielder who helped Spain secure its second World Cup title transferred from Manchester City to join international teammates such as Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi and Pedri. The 30-year-old Rodri's contract will run to 2030, Barcelona said. The announcement was made after the midfielder underwent a medical and the clubs finalized transfer details. Barcelona agreed to a transfer worth 76.5 million euros ($88.5 million), according to a person with knowledge of the transaction confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details of the deal have not been made public. Rodri, who had one year left on his City contract, said upon arriving in Barcelona on Monday that it was "a dream to play" for the Catalan club. "Very happy to arrive," he told reporters brief

SC Delhi thrash Raengdai 5-1, set up Durand Cup semis against East Bengal

SC Delhi produced a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat debutants FC Raengdai of Manipur 5-1 on Sunday and set up a semifinal clash against Kolkata heavyweights East Bengal in the Durand Cup. After Chongtham Kishan Singh's (9th) stunning long-range strike had put Raengdai ahead in the first half, substitute Joseph Sunny's (57th, 67th) second-half brace turned the game around. Rodriguinho (82nd), Juan Sebastian Pena (90+3) and Augustine Lalrochana (90+8) were the other SC Delhi goal scorers in the quarter-final match. In Kolkata, a first-half header from PV Vishnu saw East Bengal FC edge past a spirited Indian Army FT side 1-0 in another quarterfinal. The East Bengal versus SC Delhi semifinal will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on August 19. In Ranchi's Birsa Munda Stadium, it was FC Raengdai who took the lead in spectacular fashion against SC Delhi. Chongtham Kishan Singh unleashed a bullet of a shot from around 20 metres that dipped late, st

Why sports teams are selling for eye-popping prices across major leagues

In 2025, Bill Chisholm-led group bought the Boston Celtics at a $6.1 bn valuation, just a few months before Mark Walter, a financier, bought a majority stake in the Lakers with a valuation at $10 bn

FA Community Shield winners list; Which team has the most titles?

Manchester City have won the Community Shield seven times. They will be looking to add another title when they face Arsenal in Cardiff.

Arsenal vs Manchester City FA Community Shield live match time, streaming

The Arsenal vs Manchester City FA Community Shield match will be available for live streaming on Sony LIV.

La Liga: Celta Vigo-Osasuna opener postponed after fungus outbreak in pitch

Celta Vigo postponed its La Liga opener against Osasuna because of a fungus outbreak on the Estadio de Balaidos field on Thursday. Postponing Sunday's game was mutually agreed by the clubs and the Spanish soccer federation. La Liga said the decision had to be done "due to an illness that has affected the stadium's pitch." League officials inspected the field on Wednesday. The match will now be played on Aug. 27. Celta said La Liga had already inspected the field last week and validated the work that was being carried out to eradicate the disease affecting the field. "However, the recent weather conditions have adversely affected the pitch's progress and led to the decision to postpone the match," the club said.

Barcelona to PSG: How Luis Enrique has turned finals into his playground

The Paris Saint-Germain manager added another trophy to his collection on Wednesday, guiding the French champions to a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup.

Why is FA Community Shield 2026 match not being played at Wembley Stadium?

The new Wembley staged its first FA Cup final in 2007, gradually becoming the permanent home of the country's major domestic fixtures.

Cameroon to face Malawi in the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations

Upstart Malawi will face Cameroon in the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday. Malawi beat Algeria 3-1 in the first semifinal match on Wednesday, led by Tabitha Chawinga with a pair of goals. Cameroon won a penalty shootout 3-1 against Morocco after a scoreless draw in the other semi. All four semifinalists qualified for next summer's Women's World Cup in Brazil. Malawi and Algeria will be making their World Cup debuts. Morocco will make its second World Cup appearance after reaching the round of 16 in 2023. Cameroon played in the 2015 and 2019 editions. Cameroon's goalkeeper shines in shootoutGoalkeeper Michaely Bihina stopped three attempts by Morocco in the penalty shootout, and Myriam Maeva Nyadjou converted to send Cameroon to the final. Morocco, in the semifinals for the third time at WAFCON, dominated possession in regulation. In the second extra time period, Cameroon's Myriam Maeva Nyadjou fouled Sakina Ouzraouiin in the box. After a video review, Morocco

PSG retains UEFA Super Cup as Doue goal seals 2-1 win over Aston Villa

Paris Saint-Germain won the UEFA Super Cup for a second straight year by beating Aston Villa 2-1 on Wednesday thanks to Desire Doue's second-half goal in the annual curtain-raiser to the European soccer season. Doue's 61st-minute strike after running onto Ousmane Dembele's pass was initially ruled out for offside, only for the goal to be awarded following a video review. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's powerfully struck opener in the 20th was canceled out by a volley from Brian Madjo, a 17-year-old striker making his competitive debut for Villa days after getting approval to play following a dispute with FIFA over his registration. It's the first of a possible six trophies this season for PSG, which became the first team to win back-to-back Super Cup titles since Real Madrid (2016 and '17). The Super Cup is an annual early-season match between the most recent winners of the Champions League (PSG) and Europa League (Villa). Referee was the Somali official barred from World CupThe game in .

Netherlands hires Spain great Xavi as first foreign-born coach since 1978

Spain great Xavi Hernandez was hired as Netherlands coach on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign-born leader of the national team in nearly 50 years. Xavi was a member of the Spain team that beat the Dutch in the World Cup final in 2010, marking their third defeat in the title match. The 46-year-old Xavi, who has been out of work since leaving his job as Barcelona coach in May 2024, takes over from Ronald Koeman after his departure following the World Cup. The former midfielder said he felt a "special connection to Dutch football" after coming through a Barcelona academy influenced by Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels. "You could say that I am a bit of a son of Dutch football," said Xavi, who has signed a deal through to the 2030 World Cup. "Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barcelona, ??and Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach." The last foreign-born coach of the Netherlands was Ernst Happel f

Who is Amit Bhatia? Man leading Bezos, Saverin bid for Liverpool stake

The group is in talks with Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's controlling owner since 2010, over a significant minority stake in the Premier League club.

Lucas Digne returns to PSG as Champions League winners bolster defence

Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain has strengthened its defense by signing left back Lucas Digne from Aston Villa on a three-year contract. PSG announced the deal on Sunday evening without giving financial details. Sports daily L'Equipe said it paid the Premier League club 10 million euros ($11.6 million). The 33-year-old Digne was born in the Paris suburbs and previously played for PSG after joining from Lille in 2013. He then represented Roma and Barcelona before spending eight years in the Premier League with Everton and Villa. An energetic defender with accurate passing, the left-footed Digne became a France regular in recent years under former coach Didier Deschamps. He played at the recent World Cup, where Les Bleus reached the semifinals, and has 64 caps. "I am very honoured to be returning to Paris Saint-Germain following the wonderful experience I had here more than 10 years ago," he said. "I am particularly impressed by how the club has developed over the ...

Premier League deepens India footprint with 2.4x audience growth in 5 years

The study, based on BARC data and Nielsen consumer research, found that the Premier League's combined reach across linear television and digital platforms has increased 2.4 times in five years.

Rashford returns to Man United: Can Carrick make the second chance work?

Michael Carrick has confirmed that Rashford will join Manchester United's squad in Dublin for the next stage of their pre-season preparations, alongside Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez.